The present disclosure relates to a display assembly for engaging a storage rack and more particularly, to an aesthetically pleasing display assembly which functions to conceal merchandise on the shelves with a continuous graphical representation, yet provides easy access thereto.
A storage rack generally referred to as a H-frame rack system is commonly used in large, high-ceilinged stores that sell various household home improvement and other high-volume products to the public. These H-frame rack systems are shown, for example, at FIGS. 6 and 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,750.
The H-frame rack systems generally include several substantially vertical posts. These posts may be installed into a base. Alternatively, and more typically, these vertical posts are permanently and rigidly attached to the concrete floor at these store. A number of substantially horizontal beams are connected to the vertical posts. Substantial horizontal shelves which may be of a grid-type or a solid-plate type structure are supported by the horizontal beams. Merchandise is placed upon these horizontal shelves.
Commonly, there are several vertically spaced-part horizontal beams, and several correspondingly vertically spaced-apart horizontal shelves. The lower-most shelves are at and below eye-level. Thus, merchandise that is placed upon these lower-most shelves is readily accessible to retail shoppers.
In contrast, the higher horizontal shelves are too high to permit shoppers to reach merchandise placed upon those shelves. In fact, the merchandise on these shelves is often not intended to be accessed by shoppers. Instead, such merchandise is intended to be the source of restocking when the merchandise on the lower level shelves has been sold.
In some instances, the more highly positioned merchandise is so far above eye-level that it cannot readily be seen by those shoppers. As a result, many retailers whose stores include H-frame rack systems place covers in front of the upper portion of these H-frame rack systems. Such covers obscure the highly positioned merchandise, providing the store with a cleaner, more uncluttered appearance.
One type of doors that are currently used for H-frame rack systems are pivoting doors. In two-door pivoting door structures, each door is hinged so that the door swings outwardly, like the doors of a typical barn. In one-door pivoting door structures, the door is hinged at its bottom, so that the door swings downwardly, like the tailgate of a pick-up truck. Alternatively, the door may be hinged at its top, so that it swings upwardly about a pivot point that is positioned above the door.
These pivoting kinds of prior art doors have certain disadvantages. The most significant disadvantage, is that these doors extend into the adjacent store aisle, i.e., the doors extend beyond a vertical plane extending between adjacent vertical posts of the H-frame rack system. Because doors opened in this manner can extend into the store aisle, they can be and have been struck, causing damage to the doors. For example, these doors can be damaged by passing forklifts, consumers with shopping carts containing tall merchandise, or by the portable, wheeled ladders that are commonly used by the workers in such stores to access the merchandise on the highest shelves. Such opened or damaged doors also create a risk to persons in their vicinity.
The prior art doors are also heavy. This increases the strain on the hinges that hold the doors, and increases the potential damage that can be done to objects or persons that strike them. The prior art doors are also subject to warpage, which can make them difficult or impossible to align. As a result, unsightly and uneven gaps can arise between doors.
Another prior art example of a door assembly includes a plurality of sliding doors. Rollers are secured the sliding doors to facilitate lateral movement along the openings of the H-frame rack system. Channels are positioned above the sliding doors and are secured to the horizontal beams. The rollers, and thus the doors are guided by the channels. Each of the doors in this assembly is parallel and laterally or horizontally offset with respect to each adjacent door. There are several disadvantageous with this prior art assembly. Namely, in the advertising display placed upon the doors which may extend for over more than one door is disrupted by the lateral or transverse offset between the panels. Accordingly, larger displays appear discontinuous, not aesthetically pleasing to the eye and distracting. Commercial advertising displayed in this manner is not flattering and turns off advertisers and customers.
Another disadvantage is that the doors are not secured along their bottom edge. As a result the doors are subject to dislodging upon unexpected impact and also may be subject to damage from improper use or unintended contact.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a display assembly for H-frame rack systems that overcomes the deficiencies and disadvantageous of the prior art and is more secure, less complex, less costly, easier to use and manufacture and creates a more esthetically pleasing seamless display for graphical representations.